What was the primary purpose of NATO when it was formed?

The primary purpose of NATO, when it was formed in 1949, was to provide collective defense against the Soviet Union. At the time, the security landscape in Europe was heavily influenced by the onset of the Cold War, with tensions rising between Western nations and the Soviet bloc. The foundational principle of NATO is articulated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an armed attack against one or more NATO members is considered an attack against all members. This collective defense mechanism was designed to deter aggression from the Soviet Union and to ensure that Western European nations could rely on the military support of the United States and other allies.

While economic assistance and the promotion of democracy are important aspects of NATO's mission today, they were not the primary purpose at its inception. Similarly, the establishment of a unified military command is an operational detail that supports the collective defense goal but does not capture the overarching intention behind NATO's formation.